The present invention relates to a cutting blade. More particularly, the present invention is directed to blades with unique cutting angles for cutting food products.
In the meat-processing business productivity and overall yield of a meat-processing plant depends on a number of factors including efficiency of the equipment being used, especially the quality and consistency of the blades utilized to cut or slice the meat. Varying blade characteristics affect their accuracy and determine their longevity. These characteristics depend on the blade""s process of manufacture. The most relevant characteristics are the: sharpness, hardness, tolerances allowed for the blade edge angles, hone, finish, and grade of material used to make the blade. These are adjusted based on the application of the blade or the desired cost of the blade.
Generally, the blades are used in automated, high-speed skinning machines that are used to remove skin, membrane, or fat in meat, poultry, and fish processing plants. These machines utilize a conveyor that feeds the meat product into the skinning machine. During this process, the product is compressed by rollers and pulled over a plate (or shoe) onto which the blade is affixed. The skin, fat, or membrane is removed in a manner similar in function to that of a wood plane.
A typical meat-producing process is the removal of the skin on pork bellies before they undergo further processing in the production of bacon. A typical pork belly weighs about 14 pounds, and the skinning machine processes about one belly every 5 seconds. This amounts to about 168 pounds per minute or 80,000 pounds per shift, per machine. Two issues effect the production yield: 1) accuracy and consistency of the depth of the trim and 2) machine up-time. Using the example of the pork bellies, a weight deviation of just xc2xc of 1% in trim weight can result in a gain or loss of 2,000 pounds per shift. Thus, with a typical price of $.80 per pound, that amounts to $1,600.00 per shift.
Traditionally, plants choose blades with certain basic characteristics. The problem with most of these blades is that they have loose tolerances, poor finish and hone, non-optimal edge angles, and non-optimal hardness. One way to increase sharpness and cutting precision of the blade is to use one with a narrow edge geometry, but this usually results in faster wear. When using these types of blades in the demanding environment of meat processing the normal result is a shortened blade life or damaged blades. The result is an increased expense because of both the use of more replacement blades and more frequent downtime of the plant leading to idled workers.
What is needed is a longer lasting narrow edge geometry blade that has a reasonable cost with increased durability and accuracy, so that productivity and net yield are increased while the compression of the blade and downtime are reduced.
This present invention overcomes all these above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art devices.
According to the present invention there is provided a cutting blade with a very small angled back hone, a small grind angle, a small angled front hone, and a reduced size included angle, which has an increased hardness. This configuration allows for a xe2x80x9cslipperyxe2x80x9d blade with increased precision and longevity.
Advantages of the blade design according to the present invention are that cutting is smoother, easier, and more precise, compression and downtime are reduced, and productivity and net yield are increased. This is brought about because the hone is ground wider than the prior art blades and the blade is highly polished to a mirror finish.
Another advantage of this blade design is that the stability under compressed product, and the combination of a break free edge, a narrow, slippery geometry, and a harder temper, results in a stable, consistent cut.